Didier Drogba and Michael Essien, former footballers from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana respectively, have come out in support of their former coach at Chelsea, Portuguese Jose Mourinho.
Drogba spoke out in support of Mourinho, who has faced accusations from the Turkish club Galatasaray regarding racism following the match between the teams in the Turkish league, which concluded in a draw in Istanbul. "Mourinho is not a racist, and history (both past and present) testifies to this... How could my parents have been racists?" stated the former international striker.
Galatasaray, leading the league, stated that it will initiate legal action against the 62-year-old Mourinho, asserting: "Since the moment he began his work in Turkey, the coach of Fenerbahçe, Jose Mourinho, continues to make inflammatory statements towards the Turkish people." Fenerbahçe, occupying second place in the league, reacted, indicating that "the statement by the coach was taken out of context and deliberately distorted."
